If you’re moving to the Netherlands (or have just moved) there are a few things you need to do to get settled.

Finding a place to live is priority number one. First, you have to decide if you like to buy a home or if you want to rent for a while. If it’s clear you want to buy a place of your own, the first step is to get an idea of how much money you can borrow. ABN Amro has been helping expats to finance their homes for many years now and is a great company to help you find your way.

Let us introduce you to Bob &Jocelyn, both mortgage advisors at ABN AMRO BANK!

Introduce yourself! Who are you, and what industry do you work in?

Hi! We are Bob and Jocelyn and we both work as mortgage advisors for international clients within ABN AMRO. Our goal is to show your possibilities and explain the details of buying a house in the Netherlands, so do not hesitate to ask us anything regarding the mortgage process. As mortgage advisors, we help people to buy their homes and guide them through the process. We both started working in offices that specialized in service for expats. Our work is related to the daily banking side, advising in payment packages, loans, insurance and everything else that encompasses daily banking. To help our clients further and be of more service we both decided to take a dive into the mortgage world. We both grew towards mortgage advisor, joining a branch of the company with more than 25 years of experience in helping international clients buy houses.

Who are your clients?

We work with expats, non-residents, people from the Netherlands working abroad and everything in between. People who usually come to the Netherlands are completely new and need support and guidance to get in the right direction. These are the customers we focus on.

What kinds of service do you deliver yourselves and what expertise do you forward to your partners?

We are in charge of arranging your mortgage, from the first introduction to the last document, to help finance your future property and help you get your own home. Of course, we always help you with finding the right party’s to work with, helping you with all the Dutch documents as well as finding your way through the experience of buying a house and moving in.

What are your top 3 tips in working with expats to ensure they have a smooth transition from their last country of residence to the Netherlands?

Our tips!

  • Join an Expat Community. Here you can talk and learn with other people regarding their experiences with settling in the Netherlands, buying their first home and a lot more.
  • Try to get your bicycle, the most common means of transport in the Netherlands, and get accustomed to public transport. Public transport in the Netherlands can get you from the southern tip of Limburg to Texel in a few hours, and anywhere in between.
  • Get yourself an umbrella. The Netherlands are famous for its rains but as well for the unpredictable weather, the sun might shine in the afternoon, and an hour later you have a hailstorm. So the umbrella will be a necessary addition to your wardrobe, choose between our Delft-invented stormproof umbrella, the small foldable umbrella, or simply the standard option, choices are enough!

What are some do’s and don’ts for expat clients that you would/wouldn’t recommend in relation to your industry?

We will divide this question into do’s and don’ts

Do’s

  • Talk with a mortgage advisor as your starting point in the mortgage process. There is a lot more possible than our clients usually expect when we talk to them for the first time. You can easily get a free consultation meeting to help discuss the process, costs, and different necessary party’s to make your offer more successful.
  • View houses! You can freely look around houses and make appointments to see if you like the houses. By going around you will get more accustomed to processes and terminology.

Don’t’s

Don’t do all your homework on your own, come join us for a personal meeting! With a personal consultation, we could give you all the knowledge you need to start with confidence. The mortgage process in the Netherlands could be quite different in comparison to other countries, so please don’t assume you know what’s what beforehand. For example mortgages in the Netherlands, we don’t pre-approve mortgages!

  • Don’t be too hasty when looking for houses. Finding the place where you want to live can take some time. Check for yourself what the plan is, are you looking for something to stay in for 5 years, or are you looking for a forever home?

What are the benefits of working with you as opposed to another vendor in your industry?

ABN AMRO is the place where you can have and manage all your financial products to help you successfully settle in the Netherlands and get started. All the financial products and advice are offered in one place and easily accessible via Online Banking.

Working with ABN AMRO gives you access to a range of international client advisors with years of working experience. It also connects you to a bank that can help you with the whole landing package in the Netherlands. From insurance to payment systems, investment products but also car loans.

How can a potential client get in touch with you?

You can contact us directly at bob.servaas@nl.abnamro.com or jocelyn.muller@nl.abnamro.com or you can always go to our website and set up an appointment, even if you are not yet a customer of ABN AMRO.

It sounds like a good start to us!